Top Filmmaking Anime Recommendations

Hyouka

Also known as Hyouka.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Romance , Slice of Life

Energy-conservative high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he bargained for when he signs up for the Classic Literature Club at his sister's behest—especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Begrudgingly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation concerning the 45-year-old mystery that surrounds the club room.

Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat deadlines and lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent, in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but of other side cases as well.

Based on the award-winning Koten-bu light novel series, and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto of Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu, Hyouka shows that normal life can be full of small mysteries, be it family history, a student film, or even the withered flowers that make up a ghost story.



Tags: School Club , Detective , School , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Philosophy , Episodic , Classic Literature , Heterosexual , Filmmaking , Rural , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Politics , Cosplay , Shrine Maiden , Bullying

[Oshi no Ko]

Also known as Oshi No Ko.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?



Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast began on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~82 minutes.

Tags: Acting , Tragedy , Idol , Revenge , Twins , Male Protagonist , Reincarnation , Urban , Seinen , Detective , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Anti-Hero , Time Skip , Orphan , Age Regression , Ensemble Cast , Tsundere , Bullying , Filmmaking , Love Triangle , Family Life , Denpa , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Fake Relationship , School , Suicide , Otaku Culture , Female Harem , Bowling

GREAT PRETENDER

Also known as Great Pretender.

Studio: Wit Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Thriller

Self-styled “Japan's greatest swindler” Makoto Edamura is mainly targeting elder people and occasional foreign travelers. But when he tries to scam an apparently clueless French tourist in Tokyo, he can't possibly imagine that what looked like just another ordinary job is going to take him all the way to Los Angeles, tied upside-down on the famous Hollywood sign… And he is yet to find out what fate awaits him!



Tags: Crime , Anti-Hero , Foreign , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Urban , Language Barrier , Work , Mafia , Filmmaking , Drawing , Drugs , Gangs , Triads , Football , Acting , Bisexual , Heterosexual , Aviation , Tragedy , Slavery , Tomboy , Detective , Nudity , Tanned Skin , War , Mahjong , Baseball , Guns , Terrorism , Boys' Love

PERFECT BLUE

Also known as Perfect Blue.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Thriller

Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren’t ready to see her go... Encouraged by her managers, Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, when suddenly her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima’s reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, in person and online, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows, in this iconic psychological thriller that has frequently been hailed as one of the most important animated films of all time.



Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 5, 1997.

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Denpa , Female Protagonist , Acting , Idol , Otaku Culture , Primarily Adult Cast , Meta , Work , Philosophy , Tragedy , Gore , Nudity , Filmmaking , Noir

Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu

Also known as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Mystery , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Kyon, your typical high school student, has long given up his belief in the supernatural. However, upon meeting Haruhi Suzumiya, he quickly finds out that it is the supernatural that she is interested in; aliens, time travelers and espers among other things. When Haruhi laments about the lack of intriguing clubs around school, Kyon inspires Haruhi to form her own club. As a result, the SOS Brigade is formed, a club which specializes in all that is the supernatural.

Much to his chagrin, Kyon, along with the silent bookworm, Yuki Nagato, the shy and timid Mikuru Asahina, and the perpetually smiling Itsuki Koizumi, are recruited as members. The story follows the crazy adventures that these four endure under their whimsical leader, Haruhi. The story is based on the light novels by Nagaru Tanigawa.

Note: This entry is for the original 14-episode 2006 airing. The series was further expanded and reordered into a 28-episode series in 2009.

Tags: School Club , Achronological Order , Urban Fantasy , Gods , School , Time Manipulation , Primarily Teen Cast , Meta , Aliens , Alternate Universe , Philosophy , Parody , Male Protagonist , Magic , Otaku Culture , Kaiju , Female Protagonist , Tsundere , Kuudere , Filmmaking , Ensemble Cast , Episodic , Unrequited Love , Baseball , Maids

Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (2009)

Also known as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009).

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Mystery , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Kyon has found himself dragged through many adventures as of late—all because of the SOS Brigade club and its excitable leader, Haruhi Suzumiya. He has stopped believing in the supernatural long ago, but after being forced to join this club based solely on that, he has seen things that cannot be explained logically.

Joining Kyon on his various misadventures is the shy and soft-spoken Mikuru Asahina, the bookish Yuki Nagato, and the ever-cheerful Itsuki Koizumi. Whether it is summer vacation or a school festival, things involving their club and Haruhi herself always end up becoming strange.

Note: This is a re-airing of the original Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu series, taken from the DVD release and aired in chronological order, adding 14 additional episodes with new content. These new episodes are episodes 8 (Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody), 12-19 (Endless Eight), and 20-24 (The Sigh of Suzumiya Haruhi Parts 1-5).

Tags: Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , School , Time Manipulation , School Club , Aliens , Gods , Primarily Teen Cast , Time Loop , Parody , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Memory Manipulation , Meta , Tsundere , Kuudere , Magic , CGI , Filmmaking , Unrequited Love , Maids

Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na!

Also known as Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!.

Studio: Science SARU
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Slice of Life

First year high schooler Midori Asakusa loves anime so much, she insists that "concept is everything" in animation. Though she draws a variety of ideas in her sketchbook, she hasn't taken the first step to creating anime, insisting that she can't do it alone. The producer-type Sayaka Kanamori is the first to notice Asakusa's genius. Then, when it becomes clear that their classmate, charismatic fashion model Tsubame Mizusaki, really wants to be an animator, they create an animation club to realize the "ultimate world" that exists in their minds.



Tags: Drawing , Primarily Teen Cast , School Club , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Otaku Culture , Urban , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Coming of Age , Surreal Comedy , Educational , Urban Fantasy , Meta , Seinen , Tanned Skin , Filmmaking , Ensemble Cast , Tomboy

Bokutachi no Remake

Also known as Remake Our Life!.

Studio: feel.
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

28-year old Hashiba Kyouya has hit a new low after losing his job at a shady game developer. He originally quit his steady office job to work in the creative industries that he admires, but it's proving to be a challenge even for a motivated go-getter like him. As he finds himself back at his parents house, between jobs, he can't help but wonder what would happen if he had a chance to redo his collegiate studies. Maybe things would turn out differently if he had gone to art school instead... and, shockingly enough, he might just get a chance to test that theory.



Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of ~51 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.

Tags: College , Age Regression , Coming of Age , Time Skip , Time Manipulation , Video Games , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Drawing , Otaku Culture , Male Protagonist , Female Harem , Work , Filmmaking , Software Development , Acting , Tragedy , Photography , School Club , Primarily Female Cast , Tsundere

Kamisama ni Natta Hi

Also known as The Day I Became a God.

Studio: P.A. Works
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Youta Narukami is a student focused only on his college entrance exams. During his last summer break of high school, he is approached by a girl named Hina who says she is the god of omniscience. She tells him that in thirty days, the world will end. At first Youta doesn't believe her, but after she demonstrates supernatural predictive abilities, he becomes convinced her power is genuine. Hina, meanwhile, decides for some reason to stay at his house, and they begin a tumultuous vacation facing the end of the world together.



Note: The first episode received an early screening on October 3rd, 2020. The regular TV broadcast started on October 11th, 2020.

Tags: Disability , Gods , Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Slapstick , Urban Fantasy , Coming of Age , Rehabilitation , Filmmaking , Love Triangle , Time Skip , Kuudere , Acting , Mahjong , Baseball , Video Games , Episodic , Basketball , Cosmic Horror , Tsundere

Itsudatte Bokura no Koi wa 10 cm Datta.

Also known as Our love has always been 10 centimeters apart..

Studio: Lay-duce
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

The moment Miou Aida first met Haruki Serizawa at the Sakuragaoka High School Entrance Ceremony they both felt an unexplainable connection. Despite their completely different personalities, they found themselves walking home together after school every day. As they spend more time together, their feelings for each other grow stronger. Just 10 centimeters apart, but the distance remains...



Tags: School , Heterosexual , Drawing , Time Skip , School Club , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Photography , Filmmaking

Sennen Joyuu

Also known as Millennium Actress.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance

Millennium Actress blurs the lines between the past and the present, and truth and fiction, when a documentary filmmaker fulfills his quest to find the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, and learn why she mysteriously vanished at the height of her brilliant career. When Chiyoko grants the filmmaker’s request, he, in turn, presents her with a token – a key she had lost and thought was gone forever. The filmmaker could not have imagined that the key would not only unlock the long-held secrets of Chiyoko’s life, but also his own.



Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 28, 2001.

Tags: Acting , Biographical , Historical , Meta , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Work , Unrequited Love , Time Skip , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , War , Denpa , Anachronism , Fugitive , Swordplay , Age Gap , Snowscape , Filmmaking

Itou Junji: Collection

Also known as Junji Ito Collection.

Studio: Studio DEEN
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Anime adaptation of stories from both the 11-volume Ito Junji Kessaku-shuu series and the Fragments of Horror book.

Tags: Anthology , Episodic , Gore , Body Horror , Tragedy , Ghost , Demons , School , Super Power , Cosmic Horror , Crime , Urban , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Monster Girl , Josei , Suicide , Alternate Universe , Circus , Filmmaking , Nudity , Unrequited Love

Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san

Also known as Pompo: The Cinéphile.

Studio: CLAP
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama

The manga depicts the craft of movie-making and revolves around Joelle Davidovich "Pompo" Pomponette, a talented movie producer who looks like a little girl.

Operating out of the movie capital "Nyallywood," Pompo has been shooting one B-grade entertainment flick after another that anyone would enjoy. One day, Pompo's "movie buff" assistant Gene spots a new script written by Pompo, and is moved by its exquisite story. In a fit of passion, he proclaims, "I want to see this as a finished work in theaters as soon as possible!"

However, Pompo tells him, "So you shoot this film." Thus, Gene takes on his first directing gig. Meanwhile, Natalie, an ordinary girl who just arrived in town with movie actress dreams, has been discovered by Pompo.



Tags: Filmmaking , Work , Acting , Educational , Coming of Age , Foreign , Meta , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Shoujo , Writing

Tasogare Outfocus

Also known as Twilight Out of Focus.

Studio: Studio DEEN
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

A boys’ school film club is the backdrop for three tales of new romance. Mao and Hisashi pair up for a project, make three promises, and draw closer together in the process. The club president, Jin, and a jealous junior named Giichi clash before finding common ground. Shion, a first-year student, joins the film club in search of a boyfriend and butts heads with Rei—until Rei asks him on a date.



Tags: Boys' Love , LGBTQ+ Themes , Filmmaking , School , School Club , Acting , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Achronological Order , Kuudere , Twins , Nudity , Crossdressing , Estranged Family , Fake Relationship , Age Gap

Majokko Club Yoningumi: A Kuukan kara no Alien X

Status: Finished
Genres: Mahou Shoujo , Sci-Fi

Yuu, Persia, Mai and Yumi are together in a science fiction-like adventure. An awful monster assault young and beautiful girls, leaving them transformed into ugly hags: only our four magical girls with their powers can fly to the space and fight for Earth 's sake, so Yuu transforms into Creamy Mami, Mai into Magical Emi, Persia into Fairy and little Yumi draws space suits for all of them.



Tags: Magic , Crossover , Kaiju , Acting , Filmmaking , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Child Cast

Aru Kararu no Isan

Also known as Legacy of Aru Kararu.

Status: Finished
Genres: Sci-Fi

OVA based on the manga by Michihara Katsumi.



Tags: Aliens , Fugitive , Lost Civilization , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Super Power , Monster Boy , Espionage , Space , Language Barrier , Clone , Tragedy , Filmmaking , Nudity , Guns

Nekketsu Jinmenken: LIFE IS MOVIE

Studio: CoMix Wave
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Mecha , Mystery , Sci-Fi

Life Is Movie features indie animator Junichi Yamamoto and Flash animator Tokumaru Naoko reintroducing the Hidenori Takahashi voiced passionate human-faced dog NEET/would be detective was released as OVA and online on the Bandai Channel.

Tags: Aliens , Anthropomorphism , Animals , Cosmic Horror , Detective , Female Protagonist , Filmmaking , Pandemic , Super Robot , Urban , Work